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Old 10-09-2016, 04:16 PM   #1
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Battery compartment

I have a 36rl with 2 batteries enclosed in 2 separate plastic cases. Is there any way to open these cases to check the batteries without mutilating the cases. Or, are you not supposed to check the batteries?
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Old 10-09-2016, 05:31 PM   #2
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Hopefully the new management will figure this out. This has been an on going complaint since day one. These batteries have to be serviced to get good life out of them and it's just too hard to do for anybody over the age of 50 or 4.5 ft tall. I guess if you live on an island full of short people you wouldn't have a problem
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Old 10-09-2016, 06:15 PM   #3
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Hopefully the new management will figure this out. This has been an on going complaint since day one. These batteries have to be serviced to get good life out of them and it's just too hard to do for anybody over the age of 50 or 4.5 ft tall. I guess if you live on an island full of short people you wouldn't have a problem
My wife stands 4'10" I make her do it and I sit under the overhang and supervise. I want to make sure she isn't cutting any corners
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Old 10-09-2016, 06:24 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by Rogerfish View Post
I have a 36rl with 2 batteries enclosed in 2 separate plastic cases. Is there any way to open these cases to check the batteries without mutilating the cases. Or, are you not supposed to check the batteries?
There are screws holding the top half of the box on. You do need to check them and add distilled water every so often if not AGM,s
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Old 10-09-2016, 06:26 PM   #5
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My wife stands 4'10" I make her do it and I sit under the overhang and supervise. I want to make sure she isn't cutting any corners

Yea.....getting good help is difficult. Everyone wants to cut corners
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Old 10-09-2016, 06:27 PM   #6
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Someone a long time ago had posted pictures of an aftermarket battery box that they had installed. I believe it was on a sliding tray as well, which is very handy.
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Old 10-09-2016, 07:46 PM   #7
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Tomkidder:
Do you loan her out?
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Old 10-09-2016, 07:56 PM   #8
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Yes, you need to check them frequently, especially if your cutoff switch does not completely shut everything down. I made a Velcro strap, took the screws out of the top part, unscrewed the bottom of the box, placed the strap under the box, screwed the box back to the floor and pull the strap over the top and Velcro it tight. Easy to unstrap, check the battery and restrap! If you don't want to make a strap, Camping World sells them. I have not however, figured out a way to check them without getting on my knees, something most of us cannot do easily! Redwood would do their Baby Boomers a big favor by relocating the batteries. Not Very Baby Boomer friendly, which is who they say they designed the Redwood for.
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Old 10-09-2016, 08:12 PM   #9
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Getting on my knees is easy, it's the getting back up that's the problem, didn't realize how tall I've gotten cause it's sure a long ways up.
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Old 10-10-2016, 12:52 AM   #10
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For how difficult checking batteries is, switch to AGM's and throw away the boxes.
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Old 10-10-2016, 01:16 AM   #11
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I have a 36rl with 2 batteries enclosed in 2 separate plastic cases. Is there any way to open these cases to check the batteries without mutilating the cases. Or, are you not supposed to check the batteries?
I replaced the screws with spring type clamps. If not sealed batteries, they should be serviced monthly. After returning my 36RL to storage I remove the battery conductors as the main battery disconnect does not turn off all connected loads. That is the easy part. Standing back up is the hard part!.
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Old 10-10-2016, 09:07 PM   #12
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One modification I made with the stock boxes was to reorient them side by side length-wise, so I don't have to reach over the front one to check the rear one. Installed new battery cables so they all go in & out the rear of the box. I can lift the covers to the rear and get to the fill caps. Still a PIA (and back), but much more friendly than it used to be. Like others, I will replace these batteries with the AGM's when the current ones fail.
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Old 10-11-2016, 01:40 AM   #13
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Tomkidder:
Do you loan her out?
No,I'll keep her. I have four very expensive daughters I would like to offload though. The tall lanky one stands 5'0" all are very light weight, as the fattest one weighs in at 94lbs. (Easy storage) All this sounds really good, Right? Well hold on, there's more.............. I swear each daughter has a reoccurring monthly subscription which is more than I like to pay each month. For what I pay each month for one, I could probably buy a complete set of AGM batteries monthly, and have them installed. I'll bet I would come out money ahead.
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Old 10-11-2016, 02:28 PM   #14
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No,I'll keep her. I have four very expensive daughters I would like to offload though. The tall lanky one stands 5'0" all are very light weight, as the fattest one weighs in at 94lbs. (Easy storage) All this sounds really good, Right? Well hold on, there's more.............. I swear each daughter has a reoccurring monthly subscription which is more than I like to pay each month. For what I pay each month for one, I could probably buy a complete set of AGM batteries monthly, and have them installed. I'll bet I would come out money ahead.
Not to play, Can you Top This?, but just wait until college comes around. At my age, I'm seriously considering a life of crime. My reasoning: fewer years in jail before I go to that big RV park in the sky.
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Old 10-11-2016, 04:53 PM   #15
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Not to play, Can you Top This?, but just wait until college comes around. At my age, I'm seriously considering a life of crime. My reasoning: fewer years in jail before I go to that big RV park in the sky.
Well.........at least the health care is better. Newer computers, faster internet. Some of the RV parks I have stayed in have worse micro management than a prison warden. Make you think. All my girls are in collage now and I am helping to try to keep them fron too much debt.
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Old 10-11-2016, 09:57 PM   #16
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I got 1 daughter that just graduated her first round of RN training and my second daughter is still in high school..i got a long way to go..
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Old 10-12-2016, 03:50 PM   #17
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I got 1 daughter that just graduated her first round of RN training and my second daughter is still in high school..i got a long way to go..
My advice to you...Hang on, it'll be a fun ride.
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Old 10-12-2016, 09:21 PM   #18
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My advice to you...Hang on, it'll be a fun ride.

I am hanging on !!!
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Old 10-13-2016, 02:07 AM   #19
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I got 1 daughter that just graduated her first round of RN training and my second daughter is still in high school..i got a long way to go..
The tall lanky one is in PA school and the other 3 are finishing the RN program now. My wife is an RN and we travel all over the country. I really am loving life.
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Old 10-13-2016, 11:50 PM   #20
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For how difficult checking batteries is, switch to AGM's and throw away the boxes.
Agreed and it is also a simple project to install a slide tray to make servicing easier since RW won't do it.

Steve
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